Don't Stop Till You Get Enough

To all of those Lit Life readers who wondered where the hell we've been for the last couple of weeks, we apologize for that unexpected stint of radio silence. The good news? Lit Life is back and armed with eager new contributors and brilliant content that will satiate your literary appetites all summer long. I was planning on starting with a post about this new novel, The Rehearsal, by Eleanor Catton, that looks incredibly promising. (Joshua Ferris, who I've mentioned on a number of occasions on this blog and is one of my favorite contemporary American writers, not to mention a shoe-in for the New Yorker's 25 authors under 40 feature out next week, describes it this way: "mesmerizing, labyrinthine, intricately patterned, and astonishingly original...a glimpse into the future of the novel itself.") Unfortunately, last weekend I was able to escape from my balcony-less apartment in Brooklyn to Long Beach, New York, and though I had every intention of not only starting but finishing the book during my two day stay there, I only got to page 4. Not because the story is slow going, mind you—I can already tell from the first couple of pages I'll fly through this debut, set at an all girls high school where a teacher student relationship seems to be the talk of the halls. I have to come to terms with the fact that I've never been, nor will be, a big beach reader. There are way too many weird and wild nearly-naked people to gawk at and beach garb being what it is—sunglasses and large-brimmed hats—only encourages relentless ogling. If I had been lounging on a shaded park bench or grassy knoll, this might have been a different post. But marooned on white sand overlooking the ocean and a bald man confidently sporting a Speedo and a boom box blasting Patti Labelle? Well, for me at least, it's like one giant plasma television broadcasting a Real Housewives marathon. But I'm headed to the park this weekend, so expect a full review soon. Until then? Enjoy the view above.